Lagavulin 12 Year Old - The Flames of the Phoenix (Diageo Special Release 2022)

According to their legend, an extraordinary event unfolded when the King of Islay was reborn on a remarkable day. A brilliant spark of sunlight descended from the sky and ignited the land, engulfing it in flames. When the inferno finally waned, the scorched earth was shrouded in dense smoke. A majestic Phoenix ascended, its fiery wings fueling the stills of Lagavulin, intensifying the whisky's spicy and smoky character.

In this profound expression crafted from virgin oak and the smokiest casks in their reserves, peaty notes take the lead in a timeless dance with spices and smoke, all harmonizing with a profound sweetness.

Tasting Note by Lagavulin:
Nose: Dry, with an immediate powerful smokiness; much more so than is usual with Lagavulin, with charcoal and fragrant peat massively to the fore, backed by a clean fresh base-note that suggests sea air and mineral scents. Much reduced, aromatically, with even a little water, it remains essentially unaltered.
Palate: The smooth lightly oily texture shines with sweet richness; the taste is sweet to start, then takes off with a soaring lemony acidity and a sprinkling of sea salt to add freshness. Mid-palate the fire dries the taste, which flies still higher now in its salty-smoky intensity. A dash of water rounds and sweetens but it’s the smoke that dominates.
Finish: Long, with great waves of peat-smoke, and new-fired heights of spiced and smoky intensity that last wonderfully in the aftertaste.